be viable. I think I tossed and turned over
that investment more than I did with subsequent and more expensive lasers.”
The company purchased a six-axis
machine that could cut a variety of
shapes. “It was a SpaceGear-U44 from
Mazak,” Duy said. “The bed of the
machine is 4 by 4 feet, so it can
accommodate many parts—2-D, 3-D,
tube. It’s a versatile machine. It does
a fine job of cutting to length and
making holes.
“We have found that the biggest
advantage with a laser is that it’s often a
done-in-one process,” Duy said, referring
to the number of processing steps. “You
pick up a part, put it on the laser, and you
don’t pick it up again until it’s done.” A
lean guru’s dream come true.
Because the company specializes in
tube, it later purchased two tube-specific
lasers from the same supplier. The
machines handle parts up to 315 inches
long. The smaller of the two handles
workpieces up to 6 in. round or square;
the larger machine handles tube up to
115⁄ 8 in. round or square.
This isn’t to say that it abandoned
machining, plasma cutting, and other
processes. Far from it. The experience it
gained taught PCS the capabilities and
limitations of the various processes.
Along the way it evolved into a full-service fabrication shop equipped with
drill presses, lathes, horizontal and vertical machining centers, band saws, 2-D
and 3-D lasers, and hydraulic presses. It
also has vibratory deburring machines.
The company even offers pickling
services that it outsources to a separate
business, QC Metal Pickling Co., which
is located in the same building.
Duy feels that this variety of machines
and processes separates it from its
competitors.
“When you talk to a customer and
you say ‘tube laser’ their eyes light up and
they think, ‘Oh, this company is high-tech,’” Duy said. “Among some of my
competitors, the attitude seems
to be, ‘Yes, we offer laser cutting and yes,
we’ll take your money.’ We don’t work
that way. The laser isn’t the answer in
all cases. We use lasers on less than 80
percent of the parts we manufacture.
Laser cutting is a versatile process, but
it’s costly. On about 30 percent of the
parts we produce, machining is faster and
cheaper, making it the lowest-cost
process.”
